Bauhinia blakeana

Name: Bauhinia blakeana

Family: Leguminosae

Hardiness: 25°F (-4°F)

Common Names:  Hong Kong Orchid Tree

Blooms:  Fall or Winter 

Origin: Southeast Asia

This tree produces strong color and distinction for autumn and early winter. The rather large, kidney-shaped, gray-green leaves shed partially to display swelling flower buds, produced precociously even on small, young plants. The 6 inch (15 cm) flowers, of butterfly-orchid shape, range in color from cranberry-maroon through rose-purple to orchid-pink, often in the same blossom. In favorable sites the orchid tree may reach 25 feet (7.5 m). It requires good drainage and thrives in full sun or high shifting shade. In some areas it may be subject to chewing larvae. The adaptability of the Hong Kong orchid tree is indicated by its cultivation in such areas as southern Florida, southern California, and Hong Kong
 
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